The Anambra State Government has dismissed as inaccurate the recent claim by former Governor Peter Obi that SABMiller (Intafact Beverages Ltd.), a multinational beverage company, was the state’s highest taxpayer during his tenure.
In a satement issued on Thursday, the Chairman of the Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (AiRS), Dr. Greg U. Ezeilo, described Obi’s statement as misleading and unsupported by official tax data, urging the public to disregard what he termed “half-truths.”
Dr. Ezeilo noted that while the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has grown significantly—from between ₦1.5 billion to ₦2.0 billion monthly in previous years, to a consistent ₦4 billion and peaking at ₦10.5 billion in May 2025—SABMiller is far from being the top corporate taxpayer in Anambra.
According to data from AiRS covering the last two years (2023 and 2024), SABMiller ranked sixth among corporate tax contributors, with a total payment of ₦656.5 million—an average of ₦28 million monthly in 2023 and ₦26.62 million monthly in 2024. Fidelity Bank Plc, by comparison, led the list of corporate taxpayers.
“The attention of the Service has been drawn to claims circulating in the public domain suggesting that SABMiller Breweries is the highest taxpayer in the state,” the AiRS statement read. “This is incorrect. Our records clearly show otherwise.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, while we acknowledge the brewery’s contribution to the local economy and employment, it is not the state’s largest revenue contributor. Claims to that effect distort the facts and mislead the public,” Dr. Ezeilo added.
He emphasized the importance of setting the record straight to correct public misconceptions and respond to inquiries prompted by Obi’s comments.
The former governor and Labour Party presidential candidate had made the claim during an interview on Arise News in June, asserting that SABMiller was the single largest source of revenue for the state and a major employer.
“If I tell you what I suffered for that brewery to be built in Anambra State, you will not believe it,” Obi said during the interview. “The biggest revenue earner in Anambra State is our brewery.”
However, the AiRS insists that tax data tells a different story.
“The clarification is necessary to present the public with undiluted facts,” Ezeilo said. “We owe it to the people of Anambra to ensure that discussions around the state’s finances are grounded in verifiable data, not political nostalgia.”